Chapter 36

Jonathan is just concluding his opening remarks when Superman appears like a ghost and inches in front of Jonathan's face, held between the thumb and forefinger, a bullet that Superman just caught.

Like Clark would miss the sound of a gun being fired. Luckily he is faster than a speeding bullet though that was far closer than he would have liked before he caught it.

Jonathan sees his son's blue eyes narrow dangerously, his head snapping round to the left, to behind the audience somewhere, the moment before he zooms off.

And that's when the panic starts.

Logan almost flies on stage and pushes Jonathan to the ground. "Stay down," he grunts, making himself as a human shield.

Meanwhile Kelly's people get him off the stage as quickly as possible and the police try to keep the crowd from panicking.

Back up with the would be assassin he finds himself tackled by the 2 women simultaneously. He ends up between them as they take turns punching and kicking him from one of them to the other before they simultaneously slam kicks to his face, sending him head first into the wall, knocking him out cold.

"Nice work there, Chlo," Lois says as she dusts her hands off.

"Thanks Lois...I mean what?! Who's Chlo?" she feigns ignorance though it's far too late.

Lois just gives her cousin a dirty look.

"Crap," Chloe says.

"That's one way of putting it," Lois will agree that much.

Just then the door opens as Superman appears.

"Better late than never hero," Lois slightly chastises him.

"Well I did catch the bullet before it hit its target so some credit would be nice, you know, just to keep my fragile ego inflated," he turns it into a joke.

"Uh huh," Lois says, putting her hand on her hips. "So tell me did you know my cousin here was still alive?" she asks, nodding in Chloe's direction.

"As per our agreement all inquires in that regard have to be directed to her personally," Superman verbalises the agreement Chloe made him make.

"So that's a yes," Lois gets from that.

"Don't blame him, Lois. Blame me. I made him keep it secret. He...owed me a previous favour," Chloe tries to come to his defence.

"We're going to have a loonnggg talk, Couz," Lois promises.

"Uh...goodie?" Chloe offers with a sheepish grin that makes Lois laugh.

Meanwhile Clark has tied up Robert Kelly Jr for the police. "Well...I'd like to see Kelly explain this one off," he remarks.

"It's gonna be good, no doubt about it," Chloe says in agreement.

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons..."

Silence.

"No. Nothing to say Robert."

After the night he has just had Robert was sitting alone in his campaign headquarters when he was interrupted. "What do you want Shaw?" he asks, his voice croaky, on edge, angry. How can he not be. His own son tried to kill Kent.

Sebastian Shaw's(what, you're actually surprised he's playing both sides?) green eyes look curiously at the man. "And they will stand by you even unto death," he finishes his previous quote before explaining its origin. "Art of War by Sun Tzu. You should read it sometime. You'd be amazed how many situations it can be applied to."

"That's not answering my question," Robert says in a low, angry tone now.

"I thought the mention of children was rather relevant considering your own's antics have just about handed this election to Jonathan Kent."

"I knew nothing of Robert's actions...and if anything probably some mutant telepath manipulated him into doing it."

Sebastian laughs mockingly. "Oh dear me, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel there for excuses aren't we."

"Didn't your son aid Lionel Luthor?" Robert asks him back.

"You'll find that impossible to conclusively prove," Sebastian assures him because he's made sure that is the case. Shinobi is not going to be allowed to drag down the Shaw name no matter what. "And I know exactly where my son is and what he is doing. He's doing what I tell him. Did yours?"

"I already said I didn't know."

"Just because you didn't directly order him doesn't mean he isn't doing what you said. Didn't you say something about going the extra 10 miles, defeat is not an option."

"You don't need to remind me of my words!" Robert snaps.

"It seems I do since you're sitting here, brooding in what smells like defeat...or copious amounts of alcohol."

"You still haven't answered my original question. Why are you here?"

Sebastian sits himself down across the desk. "Why did you choose to run for Mayor?"

Robert looks puzzled at that question. "Haven't I explained myself?"

"What? The protecting people from the mutant menace? That's it?"

"Isn't that enough?!"

Sebastian shakes his head. "As a wise man once said, 'It's the economy stupid'. People's number one concern is always selfishly themselves. Any policy you wish to enact has to be framed in how it will affect the average person. Next question; why is Jonathan Kent running against you?"

"Because he has lost all sense of what side he is meant to be on."

Sebastian tut-tuts with a shake of his head. "Know your enemy and know yourself and you shall always be victorious. Another brilliant insight from Sun Tzu. That's why you're losing Robert. Because you don't really know either."

"This election isn't over yet."

Sebastian rises to his feet with a sigh. "Yes. It is," he concludes with far more foresight than Robert is showing. "I offered my full support before. You turned it down. When you're ready to learn from this, call me," he offers because then Robert will in a position where Sebastian can use him as he sees fit. How do you guarantee victory? Be in control of both sides. Xavier and Kent may take a bit longer but in their case he has his daughter to also consider so is willing to be patient. "In the meantime take my advice. Buy a copy of Art of War," he tells Robert, as he leaves, leaving the man alone in the dark.

At the Institute…

Is where Lois is just looking at her cousin and has been for at least 5 minutes. They were in Chloe's room and Lois was just waiting for the answer to the obvious question. "Why?"

Chloe was sitting on the bed unable to meet Lois' gaze. She pulls at her sleeves. "Because..." she tries to start and stops when she runs out of words.

"Because?" Lois pushes.

Chloe sighs. "Look at me Lois," she says in whisper, still afraid to look her cousin in the eye and see whatever is in there. "Look at me and tell me what you see."

"I see my cousin."

"Then you're not looking hard enough."

"Come on Chlo. Give me some credit. I'm not a bigot."

"That's not what I'm meaning!"

"Isn't it?!"

"No!"

"You died. The hospital people told me you were dead," Lois returns to a starting point.

"I got better."

"That doesn't make sense! Come on Chlo! You're not a coward! But right now, you're correct. I can't see my cousin. Only a pathetic shell who can't even look me in the eye."

"You're not saying anything I haven't thought about, Lois. If you think trying to anger me is going to get the reaction you want you're wrong," Chloe says, with none of the fight one might have previously associated with her.

Okay, that didn't go like Lois thought at all. She was sure Chloe would snap back, argue, debate. That's what her cousin would have done before. Ok, she needs to try something different. "Were you dead or weren't you?" she asks, her voice calmer and softer.

Chloe sighs and rolls her head a bit side to side. "Not really. It was a healing coma. I overdid it."

"Overdid...oh my God I was dead!" Lois exclaims, suddenly having the pieces fall into place. She was convinced she had died that day she and Chloe plunged into the river. Everyone kept telling her she must have imagined it but somehow she knew she didn't. "I was wasn't I?" she pushes Chloe to answer.

Chloe nods.

"You saved me."

Again Chloe nods.

"How?"

"It's my mutant power. I heal."

"And your skin?"

Chloe shrugs. "I woke up looking like this."

"Woke up?"

"In the morgue. I woke up in the morgue."

Lois is...well flabbergasted is probably the closest description. She slowly walks over to the bed and sits beside her cousin who doesn't attempt to move. "I'm...sorry," she says, sounding contrite. "That must have been awful."

"It wasn't pleasant. I'm just glad I woke up before someone decided to do an autopsy."

Lois cringes at that imagery. "But why hide from me?" she asks gently.

"Again, look at me, Lois."

"Oh, I get it," Lois says in sudden revelation.

"Get what?" Chloe asks with no small amount of trepidation.

"You did your classic have a panic attack mode."

Now Chloe turns her head to look at her cousin for the 1st time. "Panic attack mode?" she queries with a frown. "I do not have a panic attack mode. Now you're just making stuff up. I always approach things in a clam and rational..."

"Bullshit," Lois cuts her off.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm calling bullshit on that. We've known each other practically our whole lives Chlo. I know you. Yeah, you can be calm and rational a lot of the time but everyone has their limit and when you reach yours you jump right to having a major panic attack. I could have said you had a 'freak out' but I know that that 'F' word is a loaded word around here."

"Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?"

"Say what?"

"Lois Lane being considerate? Either you're a pod person replacement or the world is about to end...again."

Lois slaps her cousin round the back of the head.

"Hey! Ow! Watch it! What was that for?!" Chloe complains as she rubs her head.

"Don't call me a pod person," Lois rebukes her cousin.

"Ok, ok, sorry, geez," Chloe apologises. "By the way how did you recognise me back at the debate?" she wonders.

"Chloe...you don't look that different," Lois argues.

It takes a moment but then suddenly Chloe is hugging her cousin fiercely. "Thank you," she whispers, Lois' words having had a massive impact on her. Lois may not quite understand what it means to Chloe to hear that.

Lois' lips curl up into a smile and she returns the hug. Breakthrough. "You're welcome...but I still have lots of questions."

"I know...and I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Hey if I can forgive Lucy for her stunts then I can forgive just about anything I reckon."

Chloe giggles. "Did you actually forgive Lucy?" she wonders aloud.

"That's between me and God and never to be heard by Lucy's ears," Lois smirks.

Chloe giggles more.

There was still a lot to resolve between the two cousins but tonight they've made the 1st step.

The next morning…

Jonathan is walking out the door, getting ready for another busy day of campaigning. After last night his campaign manager advised they need to keep the momentum up. "All the teachers will be there?" he is asking Chloe about his meeting with the local teachers union.

The golden skinned girl is barely able to keep up with the older man as is all her other helpers as well as Martha, Clark and Claire. "Yes," Chloe assures him for the hundredth time this morning. This job also meant that her and Lois hadn't had a chance to fully clear the air but her cousin had insisted it could wait until after the election was over...which was surprisingly patient and understanding for Lois. It's not like Chloe didn't have questions too, like where did Lois disappear to for 2 weeks and how did she get back? Lois skilfully avoided answering those last night. Chloe feels...lighter somehow now that Lois knows she isn't dead. Like a burden is gone off her shoulders. Funny that. Still the day she and Lois do finally have that face to face clear the air talk will probably be a long one.

"All right, great," Jonathan says enthusiastically, completely unaware of Chloe's thoughts as he reaches the car where Logan is already waiting. Still had to be careful on security. Banshee had already gone ahead to the meeting location to scope it out.

"Here are the talking points for the teachers union," Chloe hands him his notes.

"Okay," Jonathan says as he takes the notes and briefly skims them over.

"And don't forget..." Chloe is going to remind him of his next major meeting but Jonathan cuts her off.

"I know. I've got the fire-fighters' breakfast tomorrow morning. Don't worry, Chloe. I'm not gonna forget."

"Mmm, fire-fighters," Tabby moans pleasurably, her gaze drifting off. "I think I might tag along for that one. There's got to be a few perks and rewards for working for this slave driver," she playfully pokes fun at Chloe.

Jonathan laughs. "Is Sam aware of this interest in fire-fighting, Tabitha?" he playfully queries from her.

Tabby smirks, smiling at Mr K playing along. "Well, you know, I was considering asking him if he would like a more open relationship," she jokes, not being serious. She's quite happy and content with dating Sammy at the moment.

Everyone laughs at that.

"Oh hey did you read the good news in the papers this morning, Jonathan?" Martha asks him.

"Hmm? No. What?"

"You're up 10 points in the polls after what happened at the debate," Clark answers it.

"Wow! It looks like we could win this thing after all, huh?" Claire says, actually real hope burgeoning that they can win this. On the other side she wants to fry Kelly Jr so badly for trying to kill her dad but will leave it to the cops to sort.

Martha and Jonathan share a kiss.

"I got to run," he says.

Everyone waves him off as he gets in the car and Logan drives them off.

"It's great to see him so optimistic," Martha has to say. She hasn't seen him this energised in a long time.

"Yeah," Claire says and then has to be the downer. "But we don't really think Kelly's just going to give up, do we?"

"No," Chloe assures her. "And we're not giving up either, right gang?"

"You said it sister!" Tabby cheers that leads a big yell of support for the cause from the rest.

Everyone except Clark that is, who seems distracted. Martha notices first. Clark, honey, everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, mom," he assures her, though there is something in his tone that says otherwise. "Would you excuse me?" he requests as he makes his exit.

"What was that about?" Claire asks with a puzzled look.

"I don't know," Martha replies, equally puzzled.

As soon as Clark feels it is safe he slips into superspeed and vanishes into the woods where he finds Principal Fine, waiting for him. The man had called him after all. Superhearing.

"Aren't you suppose to meeting my father along with the teachers union today?" Clark queries.

"Plenty of time," Fine replies. "So I did warn you, Kal-El," he raises what he was saying only last week.

On the aside that Fine is Brainiac, perhaps its plan didn't go as it had desired. It had wanted Jonathan Kent dead but that didn't happen. It simply has to, as humans would phrase it, make the most of the situation it finds itself in.

Clark folds his arms across his chest. "You could have just said my father's life was at risk."

Fine sighs. "I did. You weren't listening which is the crux of why before you ask it. Why didn't I say more? Would you have believed me?"

Clark frowns. He's not sure he would have. Ever since the silver kryptonite incident last week he's been feeling more unsure on who he can trust and take at their word.

"As I said Kal-El you needed to see humanity's true nature for yourself and haven't you? What happened yesterday? Your father, a voice for reason, peace and integration was targeted to be killed by the son of his opponent whose policies will lead to inevitable war. We both know Magneto is simply waiting for an excuse to start one. If Kelly and his philosophy succeeds in gaining actual power...well I do believe you're smart enough to figure out what would happen next."

"You cannot judge a species by the actions of one man," Clark argues. "Am I suppose to judge mine by the actions of Zod? Or his followers?"

Fine sighs. "I can you are just as stubborn as your father, Jor-El."

"The way you speak about him...you knew him, didn't you," Clark has been able to work out.

Fine nods. "I did. Very well. In many ways you could say he made me what I am today," he says with an irony Clark won't get.

"Who are you?" Clark asks the man. "I don't even know your real name," he returns to that previously raised topic.

"That'll come when you're ready to walk your true path, Kal-El."

Clark rolls his eyes. He's so sick of hearing that stuff. "I choose the path I walk on. No-one else," he states forcefully, meaning it more than ever after what transpired with Apocalypse followed by all of Patricia's manipulations down in Limbo.

"I can see this is going to take time," Fine realises. "You know so little of your own people that you seem ready to always believe the worst of us," he accuses.

"I would take issue with that," Clark argues, almost offended that he's being accused of being that judgemental.

"Of course you would. Exactly like your father. He would do nothing but argue and debate with the High Council endlessly. Honestly I think they looked forward to the end of the war simply because your father's term serving on the Council would be over and they wouldn't have to listen to him any longer."

Clark's lips quirk up slightly. There was still a lot about his father he didn't know. That sounds like an interesting story and perhaps something he might admire in his father.

"We'll talk again soon, Kal-El," Fine promises. "I'll let you consider all that has happened these last few days and see if are able to understand my arguments."

"Don't hold your breath," Clark warns him.

And with that Fine vanishes in a gust of wind...and as it goes Brainiac starts to calculate the following. It targeted Kal-El's human father and that didn't quite work out as intended. Perhaps its next move should be to target Kal-El's human mother...

…

…

…

A circular portal opens and Illyana steps out of it.

"Did you hear that?" Clark asks her.

"Most of it," Illyana confirms.

"So what do you make of him?" he asks her view.

"His aura is drastically different from yours. So much so I'm not convinced he is what he claims to be. That's he's Kryptonian like you...but to be certain I would need a much closer, more thorough study of him."

"Which would give you away and I won't risk you like that," Clark has to dispute that suggestion.

Illyana studies his face. "I'm not saying anything you don't suspect am I?" she guesses from his expression.

"Until I can prove certain one way or the other what is going on around here lately it bothers me to say my trust in anyone is less than 100%."

"You have a plan?"

"I'm working on one."

"Are we good?"

Clark looks at her with an arched eyebrow, wondering why she would be asking that. His response is to pull her into a hug, his hand making circle on her back, comforting her. "Of course we're good," he whispers into her hair, giving her the reassurance she seems to need right now for whatever reason. Perhaps she's just having an insecure moment...or perhaps it's just because he said how he can't trust anyone it suddenly occurs to him. Idiot.

Clark feels her relax and wraps her arms around his huge frame. "We're fine," he assures her again and kisses the top of her head. He needs her right now. Illyana understands what it means when you're being manipulated and used. Right now she's the one he trusts the most no matter how wrong or illogical that may seem.

His gently circling fingers slip to where her tail bone is.

Illyana gasps. "D-don't do that. You know how sensitive I am there," she moans...in pleasure. Where her tail is is one of her most sensitive erogenous zones.

Clark smiles. Of course he does. He gently increases the pressure to just the right amount to turn her knees to jelly. "Know what I forgot to say last week."(Well it wasn't that he forgot but more it was bad timing considering he had laid her up in bed and he was feeling too guilty about it.)

"W-what?" Illyana asks between her involuntarily groans and moans. Honestly it's embarrassing how easily he can reduce her to a boneless heap. His arms around her are the only thing holding her up.

"How hot you looked in that little outfit I found you meditating in," he whispers huskily, making pleasant shivers run up her spine.

Illyana knows which one he means. A lust filled smile comes to her. "Who likes short-shorts?" she sing-songs in his ear.

"I like short-shorts," he replies.

"Wanna see what I'm wearing under these pants?" Illyana tempts him, the full on lusty demonic temptress coming through.

"It's kinda too bad I have a busy day," he laments, almost making a move to leave.

Illyana snorts. Oh hell no! That's an unacceptable response. "Right. You started this. You're going to finish this," she vows. "And I want a big finish," she tells him, her meaning quite, quite clear and before Clark can get away the two vanish in one of her stepping disks.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating. Real life has been getting in the way and I haven't had the time. Now back to the story. Course the point of this arc is that Brainiac engineered the whole thing to prove the argument he is pushing as Fine, about humanity's true nature to Clark. It's entirely coincidental that it's helping Jonathan win. And Clark's not that foolishly trusting either as we see at the end as he tries to sort out who Fine is. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Brainiac makes its move to free Zod in Solitude.